Carson Soucy’s Rough Start Puts His Blue Jackets Spot in Question

Carson Soucy’s first five games with Columbus have raised a straightforward lineup question: what is the veteran defenseman giving the Blue Jackets right now that another option cannot? His difficult night against Florida made that debate harder to avoid. The Jackets have injuries on the blue line, but Soucy’s mistakes have started to outweigh the size and experience he brings.

Columbus had a 1-0 lead at the end of the first period against the Panthers. Florida then scored six consecutive goals, and the late pair Columbus managed did little to change the shape of the game. Soucy didn’t account for the full collapse, and it would be too simple to pin a team result on one defender. Still, several of his decisions stood out as the game turned.

Florida exposed costly mistakes

Soucy’s turnover helped Florida open the scoring. With little pressure from the forecheck, he sent the puck toward Matthew Tkachuk instead of finding a Blue Jackets teammate who was open. The play was especially frustrating because it gave the opposition possession in a situation where Soucy appeared to have time to make a controlled exit.

One error can happen to any defenseman, and Soucy has played 446 NHL games. That experience makes the rushed decision more concerning, but it doesn’t make one turnover a full assessment of his game. The larger issue is that the Florida performance followed four previous outings the source describes as underwhelming. Across five games, the mistakes are becoming part of the case for a change.

The penalty kill added to the concern. Florida had four power plays, so the pressure on Columbus’ defenders was considerable. On the first kill, Soucy got out of position and couldn’t disrupt a pass into the low slot. Later, he took a high-sticking penalty after raising his stick and making contact with a player away from the puck. Those moments put the Jackets in difficult situations and made it harder for them to settle defensively.

Penalty killing involves coordinated coverage, and a single defender doesn’t carry responsibility for every chance against. But Soucy was involved in two specific breakdowns: one opportunity that he failed to break up and one penalty he took. In a game where Columbus was already struggling to contain Florida, those are meaningful details. The roster question is whether his defensive utility compensates for the mistakes while the club works through injuries.

Columbus has alternatives despite injuries

Dante Fabbro and Ivan Provorov are both out with injuries, leaving the Blue Jackets short on defensemen. That limits the room to make changes, but it doesn’t automatically settle who should play. Emil Andrae is a candidate to step in, and the comparison in five-on-five expected goals points toward giving him a look.

Soucy’s on-ice expected goals percentage at five-on-five is 43.1%, according to MoneyPuck. The source describes that figure as about 15 percentage points lower than when he’s off the ice. Andrae’s mark is 49.8%, close to an even share of expected goals. Those numbers don’t explain every shift or establish what would happen if the two players changed roles, but they offer a reason to consider Andrae while Columbus waits for injured defenders to return.

Andrae may not be the preferred option for penalty-kill work, a role where Soucy’s size could appeal to the coaching staff. But Soucy’s performance against Florida also showed the limits of treating size as an answer by itself: he struggled to disrupt a pass near the slot and put his team on another kill with an avoidable penalty. If Andrae can handle the minutes at five-on-five, Columbus can weigh that contribution against the special-teams trade-off.

There’s also Guillaume Richard, who has four points in four AHL games this season and is described by the source as a strong defensive prospect. His point total is a small early sample and doesn’t establish how he would fare in an NHL role. Still, it makes him another name worth considering if the Blue Jackets want a different blend of size and defensive play. The argument for Richard isn’t that his AHL production guarantees success in Columbus; it’s that Soucy’s current level of play leaves a legitimate opening.

The next lineup decision matters

Columbus originally brought Soucy in on a professional tryout, and his first five games haven’t yet made him look like a dependable answer. The team must balance that form against a thin defense and the specific demands of each matchup. A veteran presence can help a group, but it has to translate into steadier shifts, particularly when the club is giving up momentum and spending time on the penalty kill.

The source makes the case that Soucy should sit against the Rangers on Saturday, with Andrae, Richard or another defender taking his place. That’s an opinion on the lineup, not a confirmed coaching decision. The next move belongs to Columbus’ staff, which will have to judge whether Soucy can reset after Florida or whether one of the available alternatives gives the team a better chance to steady its defense.

For Soucy, the immediate task is clear: make simpler plays under pressure, maintain his position, and keep his stick under control. For the Blue Jackets, the test is whether they assess the full five-game stretch rather than letting injuries make the lineup decision by default. One bad outing doesn’t define a season, but repeated trouble can change a player’s place in the rotation.